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Historical Records of New Zealand South

The Empire City In 1839

The Empire City In 1839.

John Pearce, who sailed for New Zealand on board the Duke of Roxburgh from New Plymouth, October 5, 1839, writes under date April 6, 1840:— "This place, which is Port Nicholson, is 12 miles from the mouth of the harbour to the beach, which is three miles. Out of this runs a river through a rich valley 50 miles up country. To-day we go to Thorndon. Thorndon Bay is a delightful place. It is eight miles across the harbour, and forms a complete amphitheatre, bounded on three sides by the sea, good anchorage, and safe shelter for any number of ships;. excellent water, good clay, and, it is said, plenty of coal, iron, and limestone. Vegetation seems constantly going on. In our garden parsley grows in abundance down nearly to low-water mark. The natives never think about seasons. They never dig, but take a piece of wood and root up the ground and turn over the soil, and if there are eight potatoes they take up seven, and just cover the one over and leave it to grow. We finally left the ship on the 6th March, Colonel Wakefield lending me a tent for a shed. On Saturday I gave three yards of calico for a pig 401b weight. The part which I sold brought me 12s. On Saturday night it rained tremendously, and we were as badly off as if we were in the open air. I sat three hours with an umbrella over Mrs Pearce, after which we rolled ourselves up in our blankets and slept soundly. The next morning was as gay as possible, and we felt no cold. People here do not take cold as in England. I commenced business on Monday, the 9th. The Glenbervie and Adelaide arrived in port at night. I have now the wooden house up, and am very page 32comfortable. It is the first house in town. The bank is to open on Thursday. The land is going up very much. One town acre sold this morning at £300, and all seems going on well. Prices are hardly yet settled. Flour, 6d per lb. I had the first bullock consigned to me, and sold him at 1s per lb. Sugar, 6d; tea, 5d; coffee, 2s. Wine cheap, spirits cheap; ale and porter, 2s per bottle. Clothes and shoes will be very dear, but there is hardly any saying what will be the settled price, as there is not a day passes but that some one or two ships arrive from Sydney with general cargoes. Saturday the first horses were landed, which had a prodigious effect on the natives. There is likely to be abundance of labour. Capital seems flowing in from all parts. Already we have one ship from Port Philip, one from Launceston, one from Hobart Town, and one from Adelaide, and eight or ten from Sydney, and schooners and coasters in lots. There are no reptiles or venomous thing of any kind. There is abundance of the finest fish in the world, so that anyone may live as cheaply as he wishes. There is no corroding care. The natives are pleased. I could fill ten sheets if time allowed me."—MS. letter addressed Mr John Sabell, Birmingham, in Record Office, Sydney.